Marina del Rey is next door to Blackburn, but we have no housing there. Blackburn’s sober living homes are in Venice and Mar Vista, both close to the marina, and in Cheviot Hills and Mid City. Our apartments are in West Los Angeles. Venice sits right against the marina, and Mar Vista is roughly 3 miles by road, an approximate figure. This page is for men from Marina del Rey who want a sober home without giving up the coast they know.
For the apartments, schedule an apartment tour.
A harbor town run by the county
Marina del Rey is small. About 10,274 people live there (Census Bureau 2022 estimate, via LA Almanac), compared with 11,373 counted in the 2020 Census. It is unincorporated, so Los Angeles County, not a city, governs it. Most of the community is built around the boat basins: waterfront apartment towers, docks, hotels, and restaurants with a view of the masts.
It is a pleasant place to live and a hard place to get sober. Waterfront dining usually means a drink in hand, and boat culture often comes with a cooler. A lot of the housing is high-rise apartments, where it is easy to go weeks without a real conversation with a neighbor. Men who call from the marina often describe the same pattern: a good job, a nice view, and too much time alone with it.
The fix does not have to be a big move. Venice is a short walk or bike ride from the north end of the marina, and Mar Vista is just inland. A man from Marina del Rey can keep his job at a nearby hotel or office, keep running along the beach path, keep his doctor, and still come home to a house where sobriety is the shared rule.
Some marina residents work on the water or in the harbor’s hospitality businesses on irregular schedules. That matters when choosing between our two options, because the sober living homes have a house structure and the apartments do not.
Getting between Marina del Rey and our homes
- Metro 108. Runs along Slauson Avenue between Pico Rivera and Marina del Rey (Metro).
- Big Blue Bus Route 18. Connects Marina del Rey, at Via Marina and Admiralty Way, with Westwood (Big Blue Bus route list, via Wikipedia).
- Bike and on foot. The beach bike path runs from the marina up through Venice, and many men from the marina simply ride.
Driving between the marina and Mar Vista or Venice is quick, outside the weekend beach traffic on Washington Boulevard.
Two options, both a few minutes away
Sober living homes
Our sober living for men gives you the most support. Drug testing comes 3 times a week. Alcohol testing comes every day. The homes have medication management systems. Residents can work full time or study at local colleges. Families, providers and treatment teams get a weekly update from us.
Sober apartments
Our sober apartments for men in West Los Angeles are for men ready to run their own lives with one guardrail. You get a fully furnished place on a month to month basis. Utilities and WiFi are included. Drug and alcohol testing is random and weekly. You will find no curfew and no sign-out for nights away. Most men step down from sober living first, but men who qualify can come from anywhere.
Which fits you?
| You | Start with |
|---|---|
| Live alone in a marina high-rise and drink alone | Sober living |
| Need people around you every day right now | Sober living |
| Work odd harbor or hospitality hours and have time sober | Sober apartments |
| Want your own place near the beach with weekly testing | Sober apartments |
For families and referring professionals
When a son or brother lives in a marina apartment, families often cannot see much from the outside. The view looks great, and the problems stay behind the door. Sober living changes that: our team sees him every day, and his family receives a weekly update. Our family support group is free and online. It runs every other Tuesday, 6 to 7 PM Pacific, led by a licensed therapist from Blackburn Clinical Services. See the families page.
Providers with a client in Marina del Rey can call us to talk through the right level of care. Provider updates are a sober living feature. More on our treatment professionals page.
Public help in Los Angeles County
Because the marina is unincorporated, county services are the local services, including the LA County Substance Abuse Service Helpline at 1-800-854-7771, option 2 (LA County Department of Public Health, SAPC). Beach area meetings are in our West LA meeting guide.
Questions from Marina del Rey
Does Blackburn have sober housing in Marina del Rey?
No. Our nearest homes are in Venice, right next to the marina, and in Mar Vista. Cheviot Hills and Mid City have Blackburn homes too. The sober apartments are in West Los Angeles.
Can I keep my job at the marina while living in sober living?
Yes. Residents can work full time, and the trip from Venice or Mar Vista to the marina is short by bike, bus or car.
Is there a bus from Marina del Rey to Westwood or the Westside?
Big Blue Bus Route 18 runs between Marina del Rey and Westwood, and the Metro 108 runs east along Slauson Avenue.
Marina del Rey is unincorporated. Where do I find public help?
County services cover the marina. LA County runs the Substance Abuse Service Helpline at 1-800-854-7771, option 2.
Nearby pages
- Sober living in Venice, right next to the marina
- Westside region page
- Along the coast: Playa Vista, Santa Monica and Westchester
- Areas we serve across the county
For the apartments, schedule an apartment tour. Rather we call you? Request a call back.
Sources (checked October 28, 2026): population from LA Almanac (Census Bureau 2022 estimate) and the 2020 Census; unincorporated status from the same Census place listing; distance is an approximate estimate from map coordinates; Metro 108 from Metro; Big Blue Bus Route 18 from Wikipedia; helpline from the LA County Department of Public Health.